Tobacco container and pipe filler



p 9, 1933- B. T. HOWARD TOBACCO CONTAINER AND PIPE FILLER Filed April 25, 1952 Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES mm I PATENT OFFIC 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in tobacco containers and pipe fillers.

It is the object of this invention to produce an ornamental tobacco container that shall also be provided with means for filling pipes and for iiilivering tobacco onto cigarette papers and the Smokers, especially those who smoke a pipe, find that it is a great convenience to be provided with a special container for the tobacco in which the tobacco is kept practically sealed so as not to come in contact with the atmosphere and which therefore retains the aroma'and fragrance of the tobacco, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a container of this type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container that shall also be provided with means for delivering tobacco to the bowl of the pipe and tamping the same into the bowl without making it necessary to open the container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container having a humidifier in addition to the pipe filling device.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as this description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through my improved tobacco container and dispenser;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22, Fig. 1, a portion of the base having been removed;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44, Fig. 2.

In the drawing the base of the container has 40 been represented by reference numeral 5 and this is provided with a central cylindrical support 6 to the top of which is secured a hollow container 7. This container may be made integral with the part 6 and with the base as. shown in the drawing or may be formed from a separate piece secured to the top of support 6 by some suitable means. The upper surface of the base is preferably provided with a circular depression- 8 that extends around the base of the central portion 6 and'at the corners of the base recesses 9 are .provided which are so shaped that they will receive'the bowl 10 of a pipe as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The stem of the pipe rests in grooves 11 in the sides of the container and the cover 12. In the drawing two recesses 9 have been shown,

but another one may be provided at the other corner, if desired. One of the corners has been cut away and the two adjacent sides of the base connected by a straight line 13 as shown in Fig. 3. The upper surface of the base at side 13 m is provided with a depression 14 for the pipe stem when the latter is inserted into the opening 15 in the support 6 as shown in Fig. 2. The container 7 is preferably circular in cross section and has its inner surface curved as indicated at 16 in Figs. 1 and 2. The top of the container lies in a plane perpendicular to the vertical axis thereof and the cover 12 is supported from the top of the container as shown in the drawing. The cover has a downwardly extending flange 17 that fits inside of the container and holds the cover against sidewise movement. The bottom of the container is .provided with an opening 18 that communicates with the opening 15 in the support 6. Mounted for rotation in the opening 18 is a stirring device having a cylindrical portion 19 that extends through the opening 18 and which is provided at its lower end with threads 20. A nut 21 is secured to the threaded portion and spaced from the top of the opening 15 by means of a washer 22. Extending upwardly from the tubular portion 19 are two curved arms 23 that serve to stir the contents of the container when they are rotated. The upper ends of arms 23 are connected with a tubular portion 24. Parts 19, 23 and 24 may be formed integral, if desired, or may be made of separate pieces joined together'in any suitable way. The cover is provided with a centralopening 25 and located in the tubular part 24 is another tubular member 26. The top of member 26 extends a short distance over the central knob 27 of the cover. Member 26 is held in place in member 24 by solder or it may have a pressed fit so that it will be held in place by friction. Member 26 is provided with a helical slot 28 that makes a quarter of a turn about the axis of this member. Located within the tubular member 26 is a hollow plunger 29. This plunger has an outside diameter of such size that it will slide freely in member 26 and is provided with a pin 30 that projects into the helical slot 28. The upper end of the plunger is provided witha handle 31 and the lower end has secured to it a sleeve 32 that is held in place thereon by means of pins 33. The lower end of the plunger is closed by means of a plug 34' that is held in place by pin 33 as shown in Fig. 4. The outside diameter of sleeve 32 is substantially the same as the inside diameter of member 19 so that it can be inserted into the latter, if desired.

When the plunger 29 is moved upwardly and held against rotation during its movement, the inner action between the pin 30 and the slot 28 will cause the stirring device comprising the arms 23 to rotate through an angle of ninety degrees and similarly when the plunger is moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the stirring device will be rotated in the opposite direction. The plunger has been shown as provided with a large number of small openings 35 and is preferably filled with cotton or some absorbent material 36 that will absorb a large amount of water. For the purpose of maintaining the contents of the container moist, water is introduced into the plunger in sufficient quantity to saturate the absorbent packing contained therein, and moisture from this water will gradually pass through the openings 35 into the container and maintain the contents moist.

Let us now assume that the container that has been shown on the drawing and described above,

is gradually filled with smoking tobacco andthat the plunger is in the position shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the plunger 29 is of smaller diameter than the opening in the tubular member 19, but the sleeve 34 which is freely movable on the plunger will normally assume a position like that shown in Fig. 4 and will at once even extend through the tubular member 19 and rest on the pin 33. 1

Let us now assume that it is the wish of the owner to fill his pipe with tobacco; he will then raise the plunger sufficiently to introduce the bowl of the pipe into the opening 15 in the manner shown in Fig. 2. After the pipe is in place, the plunger can be raised to the position shown in Fig. 1 whereupon the arms 23 will be caused to rotate and stir the tobacco, which will fall through the opening in member 19 into the bowl of the pipe. The plunger 29 is now moved downwardly and forces the tobacco in member 19 into the bowl of the pipe. The sleeve 32 prevents tobacco from flowing downwardly around the plunger when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2. If sufllcient tobacco is not delivered by one operation, the plunger can be reciprocated as many times as necessary in order to get the desired amount of tobacco into the bowl of the pipe. The end of the plunger moves downwardly quite a distance below the nut 21 and therefore serves to tamp the tobacco into the bowl although this is a secondary consideration.

From the above description it will be seen that the invention shown and described is especially well adapted for keeping tobacco in the most desirable condition because the container can be made almost airtight and-by means of the water contained in the plunger, the necessary amount of moisture will always be present. When the smoker desires to fill his pipe, it is not necessary to open the container, but the pipe of the bowl having an opening, the cover having an opening, a plunger located in the bowl and provided with a handle, said plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger extending into the opening in the bottom when it is in its lowermost position, a stirring device carried by the plunger, and means for operating the stirring device by a movement of the plunger.

2. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a bowl adapted to contain tobacco or the like, a base attached to the bottom of the bowl, saidbase having an opening, the bottom of the bowl having an opening that communicates with the opening in the base, a removable cover for the top of the bowl, the cover having an opening, a plunger extending through the opening in the cover and mounted for longitudinal and rotary movement therein, the plunger when in its lowermost position extending into and through the opening in the bottom of the bowl, and means connected with the plunger and operable thereby for stirring the contents of the bowl.

3. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a base, a bowl supported by the base, the base having an opening for the reception of a pipe bowl, the bottom of the bowl having an opening in communication with the opening in the base, a tubular member extending through the opening, the bowl being open at the top, a cover for the open end of the bowl, the cover having an opening, a plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger being movable into and out of the opening, in the bottom of the bowl, a stirring device, and interconnecting means between the plunger and the stirring device whereby the latter can be operated by the plunger when the latter is raised.

4. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a base, a bowl supported by the base, the base having an opening for the reception of a pipe bowl, the bottom of the bowl having an opening in communication with the opening in the base, a tubular member extending through the opening, thebowl being open at the top, a. cover for the open end of the bowl, the cover having an opening, a plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger being movable into and out of the opening in the bottom of the bowl, a stirring device connected to the plunger, the plunger and the stirring device having interconnecting means comprising a helical groove of steep pitch, and a pin projecting into the groove whereby the stirring device will be rotated when the plunger moves relative to it.

5. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a base, a bowl supported by the base, the base having an opening for the reception. of a pipe bowl, the bottom of the bowl having an opening in communication with the opening in the base, a tubular member extending through the opening in the bottom of the bowl, the bowl being open at the top, a cover for the open end of the bowl, the cover having an opening, a plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger beingnnovable into and out of the opening in the botto of the bowl, a sleeve slidably connected with he plunger, the outside diameter of the sleeve being substantially equal to the inside diameter in the tubular member in the bottom of the bowl, a stirring device, and interconnecting means between the plunger and the stirring device whereby the latter can be operated by the plunger when the latter is raised.

6. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising a bowl provided with a removable cover, the bottom of the bowl having an opening, the cover being provided with an opening, a hollow plunger having a handle portion said plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger being adapted to extend into the opening in the bottom, a sleeve slidably connected with the plunger, the outside diameter of the sleeve being slightly less than the inside diameter of the opening in the bottom of the bowl, and means actuated by the plunger for stirring the contents of the container.

7. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising a bowl provided with a removable cover, the bottom of the bowl having an opening, the cover being provided with an opening, a hollow plunger having a handle portion said plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger being adapted to extend into the opening in the bottom, a sleeve slidably connected with the plunger, the outside diameter of the sleeve being slightly less than the inside diameter of the opening in the bottom of the bowl, and means actuated by the plunger for stirring'the contents of the container, said means comprising a member having portions extending along the inner surface of the bowl near its bottom whereby when it is turned it will loosen the contents of the bowl.

8. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a bowl having a cover provided with an opening, a supporting base for the bowl, the base having an opening for the reception of a pipe bowl, the bottom of the bowl having an opening, a plunger extending through the opening in the cover and reciprocable therein, the lower end of the plunger extending into the opening in the bottom of the bowl when it is in its lowermost position, the upper end of the plunger extending through the cover in all positions whereby it may be grasped for reciprocating the plunger.

9. A combined tobacco container and pipe filling device comprising, a bowl having a cover, a supporting base for the bowl, the base having an opening for the reception of a pipe bowl, the bottom of the bowl having an opening, in communication with the opening in the base, the

cover having an opening, a plunger located in the bowl, said plunger extending through the opening in the cover, the lower end of the plunger when it is in its lowermost position extending into the opening in the bottom, and a sealing sleeve carried by the plunger and movable longitudinally thereof. l

BENJAMIN T. HOWARD. 

